Unreached People Groups and Unengaged Unreached People Groups
- mmihpedit
- Oct 14
- 16 min read
Kyo-un Jeong (Head of the Persian Studies Association)
Abstract
We are currently serving among Unreached People Groups (UPG).In recent years, within the global mission community, there has been growing discussion about those among them who have no known missionary presence or evangelistic effort—the Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPG).
This presentation first examines how the paradigm of missions has shifted in history—from being nation-based to people group–based. It will then explore the differences in evangelistic approach and methods among various ethnic groups.In addition, it seeks to define more concretely the concept of UUPG, and to share practical examples from mission fields where diverse ethnic groups coexist within one nation.
Through this process, we will reflect on how missionaries serving among UPGs can understand the UUPGs within them and develop strategic approaches. Furthermore, we will discuss the missionary’s attitude and approach toward people groups, and how mission to UUPGs can serve as a channel for expanding the scope of ministry.
Table of Contents
The Beginning of Mission to Unreached People Groups
1-1. The First Lausanne Congress — Why “People Groups”? (1)
1-2. Nations in the Bible and Mission History — Why “People Groups”? (2)
1-3. Current Status of Missions to Unreached People Groups
What Are Unengaged Unreached People Groups?
2-1. Definition of UUPG
2-2. UUPGs within UPGs
2-3. Changes in Mission Fields and Mission to UUPGs
Practical Application of UUPG Missions in the Field
3-1. Missionaries’ Direction and Strategy
3-2. Case Studies of Ethnic Ministry within a Nation
3-3. Mobilizing for UUPG Missions
3-4. Examples of Short-Term UUPG Mission Teams
Implications and Prospects of UUPG Missions in the Field
4-1. The Missionary’s Attitude toward Ethnic Groups
4-2. Expansion of Ministry — Evangelism toward Unreached Classes and Generations
Conclusion
References
1. The Beginning of Mission to Unreached People Groups
1-1. The First Lausanne Congress — Why “People Groups”? (1)
The 1974 Lausanne Congress brought a great shock to the world mission community.At this gathering, Ralph Winter and Donald McGavran officially presented the concept of “Unreached People Groups.”A people group is a community that shares a common language, culture, and identity; within the same group, the Gospel spreads far more naturally.Conversely, between groups that differ in language and culture, there exist social and cultural barriers that inevitably slow the spread of the Gospel.
McGavran (1955) explained,
“People usually follow Christ collectively within their own cultural and linguistic sphere,”emphasizing that the actual unit of evangelism is not the individual, but the people group.This idea was organized under the concept of the “Homogeneous Unit Movement.”
According to Jung Seung-hyun (2016), McGavran’s theory can be explained as follows:His homogeneous unit theory was born and practiced in the Hindu context of India, but it can also be applied to mission among Muslim Unreached People Groups.In fact, within Indonesia—where the Muslim population exceeds 200 million—many Protestant denominations were formed based on specific ethnic backgrounds.For example, HKBP (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan), one of Indonesia’s largest denominations, is based on the Batak people of Sumatra;in northern Sulawesi, GMIM (Gereja Masehi Injili di Minahasa) is centered on the Minahasa people;and in central and southern Kalimantan, there is GKE (Gereja Kalimantan Evangelis), a denomination based on the Dayak people.Thus, people group–based mission not only accounts for religious factors but also effectively minimizes unnecessary social and cultural conflicts that may arise.
Within this flow, the unit of mission shifted from the nation to the ethnic group that shares language, culture, and identity.Accordingly, the focus of research also moved from national or official language levels to individual people groups, and the evangelization status of each group began to be analyzed separately.The size and number of unreached groups were announced, fundamentally transforming the direction of field missions.In short, the target of mission was newly defined—not as a nation, but as a people group.
At first glance, the diverse ethnic groups within a single country seem to share the same institutions (education, taxation, labor, etc.) and communicate through a common language, so it may appear that there are no barriers to mission.However, in reality, the barriers to Gospel transmission differ greatly depending on each group’s language, culture, history, and identity.
Regarding this, Han Chul-ho (2016) explains:
“Mission exists because of the social nature of cultural differences among people.The Gospel can only be freely transmitted within the same culture.Therefore, in order to deliver the Gospel across cultures, one must inevitably cross cultural barriers.The Gospel is like throwing stones into multiple small ponds.The ripples in one pond have no effect on another. To create ripples in a different pond, one must throw another stone directly into that pond.This is what mission is—and to create ripples in every cultural group, missionaries must enter each people group and approach them with distinct strategies and methods.”
The unique history, legends, and major events that each ethnic group possesses deeply influence the thoughts and actions of its members.Even when faced with the same event, different peoples respond in entirely different ways.This is the fundamental reason why the unit of mission changed from the nation to the people group.
1-2. Nations in the Bible and Mission History — Why “People Groups”? (2)
The Bible is the book of God’s history, and that history progresses toward the fulfillment of God’s will.The Bible clearly reveals the direction of this process.
The Lord said to Abram,“Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”(Genesis 12:1–3)
God called Abraham and promised that all nations would be blessed through him.The blessing that began with the father of faith was declared to flow to all people groups.
Then Jesus came to them and said,“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”(Matthew 28:18–20)
Through the Great Commission, the Lord commanded His disciples to make disciples of all nations.Once again, He made clear that the Gospel would spread to every people group through the disciples. An interesting point is that it is translated as “all nations” in English. In 17th-century English, the term nation was closer in meaning to ethnic group or people rather than state.Thus, the translators intentionally chose nation to refer to a people group, not a modern nation-state.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.…Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,…people from Egypt and parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,…Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”(Acts 2:1–11)
The event of Pentecost vividly illustrates this principle.When Jews scattered across many regions and nations gathered in Jerusalem to observe Passover and the Feast of Weeks,they each heard the Gospel in their own native languages.This scene symbolically demonstrates the principle that the Gospel is communicated within the language and culture of each people.
In this way, the Bible consistently testifies that God’s redemptive history moves toward the nations.God’s work is accomplished not through nations (as states), but through peoples.The history of the Jewish people itself confirms this.After the Jewish–Roman War of A.D. 70, the Jews were scattered throughout the world and lived for 2,000 years without a state, yet preserved their ethnic identity through language, culture, and religion.Finally, in 1948, on the basis of that ethnic identity, the State of Israel was reborn.This demonstrates that, in the history of the Gospel, the people group is a more essential unit than the nation-state.
This shift is also clearly evident in mission history.The 1974 Lausanne Congress marked a decisive turning point, redirecting the focus of mission targets from nation-states to ethnic groups.Furthermore, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, numerous hidden ethnic groups within it were revealed, and mission work toward each began.Previously, all had been perceived as one collective “Soviet” people, with Moscow and other major cities as the centers of mission.However, after the dissolution of the Union, what emerged before the Church were many distinct ethnic peoples.While politically, diplomatically, and economically the event was called a “collapse,” from the perspective of mission, it was an event in which God revealed the peoples that had been hidden.
1-3. The Current Status of Mission to Unreached People Groups
The International Mission Board (IMB) defines an Unreached People Group (UPG) as
“a group in which evangelical Christians comprise less than 2% of the population.”The Joshua Project goes a step further, defining it as“a people group that, even if there are believers within it, does not have sufficient numbers and resources to evangelize its own people.”
Since the Lausanne Congress, the global Church has discovered the ethnic groups hidden within nations and begun sending missionaries to them.However, when we look at the actual situation, there is still a long way to go.
Currently, the number of foreign missionaries in the world is estimated at about 450,000,but among them, only about 15,000 are serving among Unreached People Groups—a mere 3.3% of the total.Half a century after the Lausanne Congress, the proportion of mission to UPGs remains low.
Movements such as Lausanne and related studies have consistently emphasized the need to focus on Unreached People Groups.Yet in actual resource allocation, 97% of missionaries serve in areas where churches already exist,and only 3% are sent to unreached regions.Even in mission finances, less than 1% of global mission funds are directed toward work among Unreached People Groups.
2. What Are Unengaged Unreached People Groups?
2-1. The Concept of Unengaged Unreached People Groups
At present, approximately 17,400 people groups (some estimates: about 11,500 groups) are classified worldwide, and among them about 7,000 groups (42%) are Unreached People Groups (UPG) with almost no access to the Gospel. Of these, about 3,000 groups (42% of UPGs), that is, approximately 290 million people, are classified as Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPG) for whom no missionary approach has yet been made. Strategically, they are concentrated mainly in the 10/40 Window.
There are slight differences by organization in the definitions, but they are in the same vein.
IMB defines UUPGs as “people groups among whom there is no known church-planting strategy.”
The Joshua Project defines them as “unreached people groups with no known believers and no church-planting strategy.”
Finishing the Task (international network) defines them as “groups within the unreached among whom no one has engaged to the present.”
2-2. UUPGs (together) within UPGs
Although criteria vary somewhat by research body, the distribution largely coincides. According to a survey by SEMIYEON (세미연), the regions with large numbers and populations of UUPGs are, in order, India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. This shows that most UUPGs in fact reside within the borders of existing states.
Some of them live in mountainous remote areas, cut off from state systems; however, a considerable number actually live in cities within the state together with majority peoples. In other words, “UUPG” does not necessarily mean only isolated tribes in far-off regions.
2-3. Changes in the Mission Field and Mission to UUPGs
Today, technological development is rapidly binding the world into one. With the development of transportation and logistics, movement has become freer, and a virtual space centered on the Internet connects the whole world in real time. This network is gradually breaking down the spatial and psychological isolation of particular groups.
This applies directly to the situation of peoples. UUPGs generally exist as minorities within a state, living under the same national systems of judiciary, education, taxation, labor, conscription, media, arts, and sports. Underdeveloped regions are gradually being developed, road networks are being expanded, and urbanization is accelerating. As the use of the official language expands through education and media, traditional ethnic characteristics seem to be increasingly diluted. In reality, to some extent this is so.
Most important of all is the fact that the Bible and Gospel materials (booklets, videos, audio files, etc.) have already been translated into the language of the majority people (the UPG within the state). Moreover, missionaries are serving among the majority and churches are being planted.
At this point we are confronted with an important question:“If mission to UPGs is already underway, is a separate missional approach to the UUPGs who live together within them truly necessary?”
3. Field Application of Mission to Unengaged Unreached People Groups
3-1. Direction and Strategy of Field Missionaries
The Bible clearly states that the target to which the Gospel must be testified is “all nations.”The Lord commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18).Therefore, our ministry moves toward the Unreached People Groups (UPG) and the Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPG).
At the same time, the Lord also presented a principle for the strategy of ministry.The saying “one must first bind the strong man” (Matthew 12:29) is not only a principle of spiritual warfare but also a practical wisdom that increases the efficiency of ministry.Accordingly, many missionaries have carried out ministry centered on strategic base areas and gateway cities.
Ultimately, direct attempts at mission toward UUPGs are important.However, at the same time, it is also essential, from a strategic standpoint, to conduct ministry centered on base cities.In other words, the direction of the Gospel is “the people,” and the strategy for proclaiming the Gospel can be explained by the two axes of “base and gateway cities.”
3-2. Practical Mission among UUPGs: Case Studies of Ministry to Diverse Peoples within One Nation
Representative cases where various ethnic groups coexist within a single country can be seen in Iran and Pakistan. About 70 Unreached People Groups live in Iran.Missionaries who have entered the field have ministered not to one particular ethnic group but with the concept of embracing “the entire Iran.”According to an Iranian missionary (M), ministry has thus far been carried out mainly around gateway cities, where both UPGs have settled and UUPGs also visit, so both groups can be served simultaneously.There is also an expectation that when the majority people (UPG) becomes evangelized, they can in turn share the Gospel with the UUPG.Therefore, ministry centered on gateway cities must continue.
However, some UUPGs are located far away from gateway cities and have almost no opportunity to encounter the Gospel.Also, it will take a considerable amount of time before UPGs can evangelize the UUPGs. As a result, UUPGs inevitably remain in a blind spot of the Gospel.
Therefore, mission to UUPGs should be approached as a concept complementary to existing UPG ministry.For example, the Pamir region of Tajikistan is a remote area that takes a full day by car from a base city.Access by short-term teams is difficult, and neither local workers nor majority peoples are ministering there.Such places require a separate UUPG team to enter directly.
In terms of ministry roles, short-term teams mainly preach the Gospel, while long-term and mid-term missionaries focus on evangelism and church planting.In this process, team ministry is essential.Therefore, it is desirable for long- and mid-term missionaries to base their ministry in base cities (UPG areas).However, if the UUPG is large in scale and there are coworkers, entry into the field may be possible.
In Pakistan, about 490 Unreached People Groups reside.Mission there is carried out under one umbrella called the “Pakistan Team,” ministering to various minority peoples.Each ethnic group is specifically targeted, and missionaries enter directly into their dwelling regions, while cooperation and unity are maintained at the national level.
Missionary H in Pakistan explained the background and reasons why UUPGs remain un-evangelized compared with UPGs.According to him, UUPGs have far higher entry barriers than UPGs.The representative factors include geographical isolation—that is, limitations of accessibility due to poor transportation—and political reasons. In particular, for ethnic groups that are in conflict or confrontation with the central government, visits and long-term stays by foreigners are realistically difficult, so missionary activity inevitably faces serious restrictions.
Considering these peculiarities, H explained that mission to UUPGs generally employs a strategy of first establishing a missionary base in UPG regions, and then entering UUPGs using that platform.An interesting point is that in this process, the awareness and need for UPGs become more widely known.Consequently, mission to UPGs and to UUPGs can develop not as separate ministries but as complementary works that create synergy.
The actual ministry method in Pakistan is also noteworthy.Each unit in charge of church planting worked as a team by ethnic group within Pakistan.The situation and prayer requests of the people each team served were regularly shared with other teams, enabling continuous intercession and exchange of information and opinions beyond ethnic boundaries. Furthermore, in regularly held camps, opportunities were given to serve the souls of different peoples together.From the perspective of local believers as well, when various ethnic groups gathered together in one place to worship and fellowship, they experienced a special grace and unity.Thus, within one nation, as one overall team embracing many ethnicities, this church-planting network demonstrated clear synergy and expansiveness.
3-3. Example of Operating a Short-Term Team for UUPG Mission
Let us look at the case of a youth short-term team this summer targeting the Zaza people in country T.The Zaza are classified as a branch of the K people, and therefore a long-term missionary working among the K people led the Zaza short-term team.The team entered a base city of the K people and stayed there for several days, learning the local common language and adapting to the culture.Then, passing through a city where the K and Zaza peoples live together, they moved on to the homeland of the Zaza people.There, they stayed for several days, met people, visited museums to understand their ethnicity, culture, and religion, and afterward met young people through street evangelism and performances.After completing their ministry, they returned to the K people’s base city.
The Zaza people live within the national system of country T, sharing culture with the K people.Therefore, the operation of the short-term team was also carried out on the foundation of the K people’s ministry.Through this experience, the short-term team developed a strong heart toward the Zaza and began to think about mobilization for Zaza mission even before their ministry ended. In the future, Zaza mission will continue in cooperation with the K people’s ministry.The K missionary team plans to recognize the Zaza as a separate mission target group and to serve them.Missionaries to the Zaza will go out as part of the K missionary team, ministering from the K people’s base city and conducting visiting ministry and other outreach.If an independent long-term team is established in the future, it could be sent to the Zaza’s base city.
3-4. Mobilizing for Mission to UUPGs
We are “those dedicated to the nations,” and we divide the nations to mobilize mission resources.Ralph D. Winter said,
“Mission mobilization is more important than the activities of local missionaries.It is better to wake up a hundred sleeping firemen than to jump into a big fire and pour water with a bucket.”(Larry Reesor, 2015)
In fact, Mission Mobilizing Ministry has been essential for the development of the global Christian movement and has played a unique role throughout mission history (Ralph D. Winter, 2010: 494).
Then, what does “mobilization” toward the UUPGs mean for missionaries who are already serving among UPGs?If short-term teams come, and young people embrace these peoples and dedicate themselves as long- or mid-term missionaries, how can missionaries among UPGs assist them?How should we serve the UUPGs living together within the UPGs?
Mission to UUPGs begins with acknowledging their unique circumstances and characteristics. At the same time, they live together within the same national systems as the majority peoples.Therefore, strategically, it is desirable to establish a ministry base in gateway cities where the majority live, and to carry out UUPG mission on that foundation. Depending on the characteristics and size of each UUPG, it is not necessary for all to have separate mission teams sent only for them.It would be ideal for UPG teams to engage in UUPG mission, and for UUPG missionaries to join existing UPG mission teams, cooperating and serving together.
4. Implications and Prospects That Unengaged Unreached People Groups Give to Field Ministry
4-1. The Attitude of the Worker Toward Ethnic Groups
It is God who determined the boundaries of the nations.God speaks and works through the unit of the nation.Therefore, the worker must view ministry from the perspective of the nations.Caution is needed so that UUPGs are not approached merely as subordinate groups according to the perspective of the majority people within a country or the strategic needs of mission.Careful sensitivity is required toward the group that becomes the target of mission—both the people group and the individuals within it.
The Lord left His heavenly throne and came into the world in the form of a human being.The Son of God, who created heaven and earth, came to find human beings living in one corner of the vast universe.And He proclaimed the Gospel not in the language of heaven or of angels, but in human language. By becoming a powerless human being in the face of sin, He accomplished salvation. In the Moravian mission movement, there were missionaries who sold themselves into slavery in order to evangelize slaves.They went to the islands where slaves lived, having taken on the identity of a slave, to do mission there.This teaches us much about our approach and attitude toward Unreached and Unengaged People Groups.Before considering the size of the people group or the efficiency of ministry, we must think from the perspective of the people and enter into them.
4-2. Expansion of Ministry — Evangelism toward Unreached Classes and Generations
The perspective and missional approach toward UUPGs can provide insight for ministry toward specific classes and generations in society who are alienated from the Gospel.This is because it offers an important clue as to how to approach groups that share culture and identity and have their own language of self-expression.
For example, refugees, migrant workers, or nomadic groups who do not settle in a particular region can fall into this category.In addition, the evangelization rate among Korean youth is only about 4%, and thus a missional approach toward such specific generations can also be applied.Even within the same country, using the same language, the approach and strategy for Gospel access must differ due to cultural differences—this can serve as a useful reference.
At the same time, there are groups that share certain ideologies such as communism or veganism.These people, transcending regional boundaries, possess globally similar patterns of thought, behavior, and attitude.They, too, can be recognized as unengaged groups.The approach toward them can also serve as a meaningful reference.
5. Conclusion
The unit of mission is not the “nation-state” but the “people group.”Mission to Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPG) must be understood as an extension of mission to Unreached People Groups (UPG).The barriers that resist the Gospel differ for each people group; therefore, even when they live within the same country, mission must be approached by each people group.This will naturally also be applied to ministry toward unengaged classes and generations.
The fact that UUPGs are drawing attention in missional discourse is evidence that the final hidden peoples within the UPGs are now being revealed.Mission to UUPGs is like discovering a hidden treasure buried in a field.The Gospel must be testified not to “every individual,” but to “every people group,”and the Lord is now showing us the last remaining peoples before us.Standing before the Lord who said that the end will come when the Gospel has been preached to all nations,we must cry out “Maranatha” and go forth to the final remaining peoples.
References
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